The offering of thanksgiving in the form of sacrifice, or later in our tradition in the form of prayer, is the highest expression of gratitude. We praise and we exalt and recognize the miracles of our lives. Deeper gratitude recognizes the simple gift of our lives and the gifts of our daily lives. Our rabbis, ancient and contemporary, are telling us that perhaps this is the practice we must really cultivate: the practice of thanksgiving! But how?
How often do you look at the world around you, but actually see what is there? How often do you notice all that occurs to allow for your regular day to happen? How often do you give thanks for your accomplishments and successes in life?
רבי לוי רמי כתיב: "לה‘ הארץ ומלואה" וכתיב "השמים שמים לה‘ והארץ נתן לבני אדם." לא קשיא! כאן קודם ברכה כאן לאחר ברכה...
אמר רבי חנינא בר פפא כל הנהנה מן העולם הזה בלא ברכה כאילו גוזל להקב“ה...
Rabbi Levi contrasted two verses. One states,“The world and all that is contained within it belongs to God.” Another verse says, “The heavens belong to God, but the earth He gave to man.” He resolved the contradiction by stating that one verse refers to the status of the world before reciting a Bracha and the other to after its recitation.
Said Rabbi Chanina Bar Pappa: When someone derives enjoyment from this world without a Bracha, it is tantamount to stealing from God…
הברכה הנאמרת קודם האכילה מבטאת את קבלת ההתחייבות שתוספת הכח שנזכה בה ע“י האכילה תנוצל לעבודת ה‘, ורק בזכות התחייבות זה נהיה ראויים לאכילה.
R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Deut. 8:10
A Bracha said before partaking of any pleasure expresses the resolution that we will employ any renewed vital energy gained from this pleasure, to serve God’s purposes. Only if we make this resolution will we become worthy of enjoying that pleasure.
איך ובמה רואים את ה‘ ממש? בהכרת טובתו ובהודאה. מנפלאות תקנות חז“ל להעמידנו תמיד על יד היצירה. אין כלל עולם מגובש ועתיק לפנינו. אלא יום יום,
שעה שעה, בריאה חדשה. כל אשר עינינו רואות וכל הנאה שאנו טועמים- בריאה חדשה אשר הושיט לנו הבורא מהאין כדי שנכיר חסדו עלינו וחכמתו... עולם
כזה המתחדש לפני עינינו יום יום אינו מעלה חלודת שיגרה.
Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe
Alei Shur Vol. I, p.112
How does one come to “see” God? Through recognizing His goodness and praising Him for it. One of the wondrous achievements of the Sages was to ensure the continued awareness of the “Hand of Creation.” The world before us is neither fully developed nor completed. Rather, day by day, hour by hour, creation is renewed. All that our eyes see and every pleasure we taste is a new creation which God has created from nothingness to
bestow upon us, so that we realize His kindness and His wisdom… A world like this, which is renewed before our eyes day in and day out, ensures that we do not become rusty [in our acknowledgement of God] due to monotony.
(ו) וכל הברכות כולן נאמרין בכל לשון והוא שיאמר כעין שתקנו חכמים ואם שינה את המטבע הואיל והזכיר אזכרה ומלכות וענין הברכה אפילו בלשון חול יצא.
All the blessings may be recited in any language, provided one recites [a translation of] the text ordained by the Sages. [A person who] changes that text fulfills his obligation nonetheless - since he mentioned God's name, His sovereignty, and the subject of the blessing - although he did so in a ordinary language.
(ט) מציאות ההודאה והכרת טובה כשתחסר מהמציאות ישאר רוח האדם בלא זיו וזוהר, על כן לא יתכן שתהיה המציאות הכללית חסרה ההשתלמות הזאת, שאינה באה כי אם בהיות רצון חפשי מתעסק בטובת היצור.
(9) When the existence of gratitude and recognition of the good becomes lacking from existence, the spirit of man is left without sparkle or shine. Therefore it is impossible for existence not to include this perfection, because it can only come when there is a free will involved in the benefit of creation.
We are reminded to take a step back and look at the world around us, not only in times of difficulty but also in times of ease, to see greatness, to see our accomplishments and strengths, and most importantly to remember that it all comes from God.